Start With A Smile
SMILE! Have you ever had the experience when you were upset or had a frown on your face about something and someone came up to you and said one word.. "smile!"? They may not have known what was going on at the time, but they were doing their best to help you feel better.
Through neuroscience studies on brain function, we know that when we smile we trigger our brains to condition a positive attitude and sends signals for us to release tension. It has also been proven that if you smile enough (whether real or fake smile) you can actually rewire patterns in your brain!
Today's lesson comes from my four month old daughter. I never would have thought I could learn something from someone who is so new to the world, but when I was recently observing her, I was amazed by how much insight she had.
Wake up with a smile! For the first few days I thought it was just a fluke thing, but without fail, every time my little bundle of joy wakes up in the morning she is grinning from ear to ear. She greets the day with excitement and wonder...The way we all should.
For many of us though, life has become so fast paced that we barely have time to notice anything during the hustle and bustle of our morning routines. Taking a few seconds to smile in the waking minute of your day can have profound impact on your well being. By starting each day with a mindful smile you can begin to create a better you.
Even if you are the type of person who doesn't like mornings you can get the benefits from making this a habit. Everyone has a reason to smile in the morning. Whether it be that you have an action packed day full of excitement or nothing on the calendar, the fact that your eyes opened and you are breathing is enough to smile and be happy about. So take a morning minute to smile that you are alive and you get to experience the day and all the potential joy it will bring!
"Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most." - Buddha
So SMILE!
Bonus:
Keep a smile with you as you go throughout your day. Try to see if you can bring a smile to others just by smiling. Make a fun game out of doing this and see if you can get 10 people a day to smile back at you.
"When you're smiling, the whole world smiles with you!" Louis Armstrong
